Costs of dental work

This morning I went out in a big rainstorm to visit the dentist.

The bad news is that I need FOUR fillings. Two of them are old fillings from childhood that are just worn out and need replacing. One is a dark spot in a baby tooth that I am hoping to keep for a few more years before I have to have it yanked. There's no adult tooth underneath. And the fourth is a little problem spot in a tooth that had a root canal. I'm waiting til my ship comes in before I have a crown or veneer put over it, and apparently it's showing some wear and tear, so it needs to have a small filling.

The good news is that my new dentist and his staff went over with me carefully exactly how much my insurance would cover, and helped me strategize my treatment plan so insurance would cover as much as possible. They even told me a pretty specific figure I'll need to pay on my next visit, when all four fillings will be done. THEY provided this info. I didn't have to explain about this deductible or that co-pay.

How cool is that? Usually I find that dentists and doctors act like the actual money part is beneath their notice. These people (dentist, hygienist, receptionist) were all thoroughly versed in my insurance policy and initiated conversations about it with me.